Coral reef fish tank setup

Corals thrive best in larger reef tanks but they can also be kept in small aquariums. One of my most favorite items in the marine hobby is soft coral.

On a side note, soft corals are composed of soft tissues. Among the fastest growing flower animal, they lack skeletal structure. They have the widest range of brightest colors available in the hobby. They can live in moderate lighting but more intense lighting makes them bring more intense coloration. They usually feed on suspended food particles. Some corals can only tolerate high nutrient environment.

Most of them need slow flowing water. Various types of corals are available in the market. They are categorized from easiest to hardest to care for:. Corals are marvelous. Keeping them is fulfilling with proper maintenance and knowledge. Here are some corals that can be bad for beginners to buy:. The stone where the coral is glued must be attached to a styrofoam before putting in the plastic bag with saltwater. This makes the coral protected even if the plastic bag is tossed around, especially during delivery or travel.

When the bag turns over, the styrofoam floats and turns over leaving the coral unharmed. The styrofoam with rock and coral should always be in inverted position.

Acclimation is also necessary for them to equilibrate the temperature. Do you need a prescription for fish? So take a look! Before you know it you could be enjoying your very own aqua paradise. Coral Reef Aquarium First, what is a coral reef, exactly?

Brain and Daisy Corals Brain corals are a semi-aggressive species that are likely to sting other kinds of corals. Enjoy Your New Aquarium There you have it! About InteriorIdea. Start by buying a tank and powerhead to create flow and build up your equipment from there. There are two ways you can get salt water. Either you buy it from a local fish store, or make your own at home. You will have to decide which method is best for you. For new aquarist or people with small tanks, purchasing water is a quick and easy way.

Local fish stores will sell refillable jugs around 5 gallons of water. Water is heavy so calculate how much water you need. Bringing home 50 gallons of water if you have to walk up stairs or make trips in an elevator may not be feasible.

Mixing saltwater at home is pretty straight forward. You make saltwater by mixing reverse osmosis de-ionized water RODI , and aquarium salt, which you can purchase at a local fish store or online. Most aquarists keep large plastic drums in their homes for mixing saltwater. There is no one size fits all solution here and any large Rubbermaid or similar storage container will do.

Make sure you have a dedicated spot for your saltwater, and if you can make double or quadruple the amount of saltwater you need for a water change. It also good to have extra saltwater on hand in case of emergencies. Read More: Water Changes. Every time you test your water is a chance to correct any imbalances in water chemistry and improve the overall water quality of your system. You should be testing your water at least once a week.

From the day you set up your aquarium until years down the road, testing your aquarium water should become an important aquarium ritual. Proper lighting is important to the success of your reef tank. Corals are photosynthetic animals and need light to survive. When purchasing a light for your saltwater aquarium it is important to buy a light which is built specifically for this purpose.

When you first set up your aquarium, lights should be switched on for 6 — 8 hours per day. If you have a controllable LED light you can also reduce the light intensity. If you start noticing algae blooms decrease the intensity or length of daylight time. Depending on the size of your tank and rockscape you will create light zones in the aquarium with high and low lights. As in nature, different corals need different amounts of light.

Different light intensity zones are produced by the depth of the water and shadows created by the rocks. Light will be weaker at the edges of the tank and in the shadows of rocks. You can use a PAR meter to test light intensity. Flow is an essential part of a healthy reef tank. Flow is created why powerheads and depending on the size of your reef tank you can one more than one powerhead creating flow.

Read: Gyre Flow. There are three types of filtration required for a saltwater aquarium Mechanical, Biological, and Chemical. So I had to have the right equipment to do things.

The same can be said about Saltwater Aquariums. Without the right equipment you have nothing. Here is a quick list of the things you need to have a basic saltwater aquarium.

The aquarium is the single most important piece of equipment you will buy. Granted I may say that again on something else, but for the time being, it is very important. There are two types of aquariums, glass and acrylic.

The drawback to acrylic tanks is that they scratch easily. This can be a very big drawback. I personally hate acrylic because of this fact. Glass tanks do not scratch as easily, but they are heavier and can crack and leak. Both have pros and cons. This is nothing more than personal preference. Picking one type of tank over the other will not make your tank look better, but it might make it last longer.

Get the biggest one that you can afford as well as fit in the location that you want. Why should you get the biggest one that you can afford? The bigger the total system volume, the more stable your aquarium is, which means less water changes, and less time spent by you in maintaining your new found hobby. I had a 55 gallon starting up and when I got my new 75 gallon it was much easier to maintain because the tank parameters were less affected by minor changes, thus making it more stable.

A quick note about stands: be sure that your stand will be able to support your aquarium weight plus water. More importantly, make sure your floor will support the weight. This is especially important if this is a second floor or higher room and is not designed for the types of weight we are discussing here. Water is very heavy. At about 9 pounds per US gallon, this can add up very quickly! Consider a 75 gallon glass tank.

Basic weight will be around lbs and when you add water this becomes almost lbs! Substrate is the next step when planning your saltwater aquarium. There are several different types to choose from, all of which are great for beginners, however, some as with most things are better. Since you are just starting out, you will want a regular sand bed, which is about 1 inch deep. Figure at least one pound of substrate per gallon.

If you have a 90 gallon tank, that is 90 pounds total of substrate. You can pick between crushed coral which is commonly sold at national pet chains or live sand which can be purchased from online vendors or perhaps a local store may carry or be able to order it for you. Crushed coral is less expensive than live sand, but collects more detritus, which means more tank maintenance for you. Live sand is the best substrate you can pick, and is expensive, but it offers the most efficient substrate for your aquarium.

What is live sand? Live sand is sand that has been taken directly from the ocean floor. There is also something called southdown playground sand, which is a subject for future discussion. Live rock is a huge investment for you aquarium but can be well worth it.

Live rock is the single best way to improve your filtration of your aquarium which will make your water clearer your fish happier. It provides lots of area to attach corals including your invertebrates who will love the environment as well. Live rock acts as a natural biological filter.

Figure at least 1 pound per gallon. You can max out at 2 pounds per gallon but that is again a personal preference. You can either get this from your local pet store or order from an online vendor. Some of the best rock I have found has been through online vendors. If you thought that you would be just using table salt then you will be in for a big surprise.

The natural ocean water contains more than just salt. It contains a host of other minerals that create proper water chemistry. Salt is measured in relative gravity and should be between 1.